EDITORIAL: State battles over science texts should end

By Enterprise editorial staff

Published 11:00 am, Monday, July 25, 2011

Once again, public school students and taxpayers in Texas dodged a bullet. The State Board of Education voted last week to approve supplemental high school science materials that taught, well, science. The vote was mixed and not as clear-cut as it should have been, but as many an athlete has said, a win's a win.

At issue was that old bugaboo, evolution. Social conservatives wanted to undermine that scientific principle, but they were mostly beaten back.

It goes without saying that this is an unnecessary argument; modern people shouldn't have to choose between faith and science. Yet some hardliners on both sides have declared this to be an either/or proposition, so the dispute lingers on the cultural landscape like a smoldering fire.

Texas is rightly getting national attention for its strong economy. Our state has created 37 percent of all new jobs in the country since the recession gave way to what is being called a recovery. Squabbles like this undercut our lure to people and businesses that want to move here.

The Texas Education Agency also had to lay off 36 percent of its staff after budget cuts from this year's session of the Legislature. Yet most Texans did not want new taxes, and other state spending was cut as well.

That move was unfortunate, but when the state economy improves, the TEA can be restored to whatever size it needs to be.

The recurring battles over evolution, however, are something Texans can avoid. The State Board of Education should remember the final word in its title and promote classroom standards that give our children the best chance to compete and win in the 21st century.